What is Left Behind
by BlackLightning42
Summary: Depth Charge finds interesting information while sifting through the remains of the Axalon.


Bleh. Don't own the characters. Don't own much of anything. All my pennies went to Lizard food. This is probably the first stand-alone fic I ever wrote, so I don't really care when everybody thinks that it sucks. But it's an interesting concept, isn't it?

What is Left Behind

"Slag! Can't Primal find someone else to do his dirty work?" Depth Charge sulked for his own benefit as he walked through the destroyed hallways of the Axalon. He didn't even know what he was looking for. The Maximal leader had just said 'find anything salvageable' - although it was probably just an excuse to get him out of the Arc after he and Rattrap had been fighting for the better part of the day.  
  
Yet still he was in agreement with Optimus about there being things of use remaining on the ship. If there was no energy left in the reserves, there would have been no light in the ship and he would have had to switch he optics to a frequency that could detect infa-red light.  
  
He entered what he assumed used to be the control center. On looking around the room he found that only one computer was still working. Most of the programs had been damaged beyond recovery, the scanning equipment was broken, Sentinel had long since been removed.  
  
Only one program seemed to run properly. Warrior information and backups.  
  
After bringing up the program, the screen provided a list of the Maximals. He recognized all of the names; Optimus Primal, Rhinox, Cheetor, Rattrap, Silverbolt.  
  
He took note as well of two names that were separate from the others at the bottom. Airazor and Tigatron were two bots that he had never met, but he had heard enough about them from the other Maximals to know that they held none of his interest.  
  
The name that caught his attention was Dinobot  
  
Depth Charge Opened the file. He hadn't heard much about the transformer that had been a Maximal. Whenever the name was brought up around the Arc the entire area would become silent. All of the team was remembering a bot that he had never known anything about.  
  
Even if Depth Charge had faced off against the Predacon Transmetal 2, he doubted that this was the person that made the Maximal fall into a respectful silence.  
  
The computer's display showed a picture of a relatively tall brown and blue bot. Just from the stance of the robot Depth Charge could tell that he was a soldier by nature. Under the first picture was one of a lank velociraptor. Written beside the pictures was a long scroll of information that Depth Charge began to read.  
  
***  
  
"Forget the rescue mission Optimus, and start devising an attack plan! Megatron has lost two, we have only lost one."  
  
"I'll remember that," The Maximal Leader replied, "Next time you're lost in an Energon storm."  
  
Ignoring any other arguments, Optimus walked to the exit platform where Cheetor was waiting. He turned as the glass panel cut him off from the rest of the ship and the platform lowered him toward the ground.  
  
"Victors do not spurn opportunity!"  
  
His voice wasted on the sound proof compartment, the raptor-bot stalked characteristically to the main computer from where he was standing by the scouting monitors.  
  
"It may yet be up to me," Dinobot snarled for his own benefit, as he linked to the terminal. To anyone watching it would simply appear that he was uploading information from a scouting expedition onto the ship's memory. And indeed he was, just in case someone traced the history of his information uploads. It was what he put onto the drive with the general information that held true importance.  
  
Long before, when Dinobot had first joined the Maximals, Optimus had offered to create a backup file for him on Maximal records. A simple procedure to complete and the result was often beneficial. If a spark was extinguished, not rejoining the Matrix but truly extinguished, the backup file could reconstruct the spark with all memories and personality traits intact. The problem with the backup was with the fact that once the information was saved on the computer, anybody with the proper skills could hack into the file and have access to the memories and thoughts of the bot recorded.  
  
At the time, Dinobot had refused the backup, not trusting the Maximals to leave his file untouched. Now, Protoform X had arrived. He knew enough about Protoform X from rumors that had circulated within the Predacons to know what the project was. If the experiment had suddenly become a factor in the Beast Wars, then the Maximals would need all the help they could get. Even if it meant rebooting fallen warriors.  
  
When the information transfer was complete, Dinobot terminated the link, walking out of the control room as quickly as he could without appearing to be rushing.  
  
It would come as no surprise to him if unforeseen circumstance caused his ultimate end. Yet even if he did meet his demise in the war, he still found it his responsibility to give his comrades as much of an advantage as he could.  
  
Even with his willingness to give his life for the Maximals, he could not help wonder what would happen within the ranks with his absence. Most of the Maximals still considered him a Predacon traitor, but some had accepted him, and even that was more than Dinobot had expected from them. Yes, he would miss them if he was killed.  
  
He knew that after that moment, he would be plagued by thoughts of consequences and 'what if's until he returned to Cybertron or was defeated.  
  
***

  
"All that trouble over an ex-Pred?" the manta ray - bot mumbled at the first few lines, widening his already large optic sensor in disbelief.  
  
He would have continued reading had it not been had it not been for a large chunk of the ceiling that had loosened itself and begun falling at his position.  
  
Whatever it was that had dislodged the ceiling had done a good job, because the computer screen had become totally blocked from view.  
  
"Still..." Depth Charge mused to himself. The computer itself didn't seem to be damaged, and the disk drive was still visible...  
  
"Computer, make copy," he commanded. The drive beeped an affirmative and produced a small blue disk  
  
Depth Charge quickly grabbed the disk, storing it in a compartment in his shoulder.  
  
He _would_ know more about this 'Maximal' Dinobot.  
  
But until then, he had to finish his patrol. 

End


End file.
